If Victoria Beckham’s Sunday morning show at New York Fashion was a study in restraint by what is still a growing brand, Diane von Furstenberg’s evening presentation was a case of what a woman, an idea for a dress (conceived over 40 years ago), business acumen and years of work can do.
The massive hall at Spring Studios — a new fashion hub in Tribeca where many presentations have moved since Lincoln Centre and fashion week broke up — was packed for the sunset show, with the space between seats filled with standing guests. In the crowd was Brittany Hampton, winner of the first season of von Furstenberg’s reality show, House of DvF; auditions for the second season were held over the weekend.
The invite said Seduction, and the lace-effect set, bathed in red light, reinforced the theme for a crowd already bombarded with the Fifty Shades of Grey billboards all over the city.
Thankfully von Furstenberg didn’t take us down too obvious a route to seduction, although in her show notes she portrayed her customer as a double agent — in this case a working woman who commands her world in pinstripe by day, and unzips fantasies in red lace by night. (Double Agent is also the name of the handbag the models carried.)
Delivering the first fantasy of the show was girl-of-the-moment Kendall Jenner, in a creamy wool jersey wrap dress accented with black floral buds.
That commanding pinstripe was seen on chiffon leg-of-mutton sleeves on slim fitting, buttoned-up dresses trailing untied pussy bows, or in wool in a feminine take on the three piece suit.
Where DVF’s wrapdress mainstays are usually in hard-working jersey, here dresses had a mix of fabrics or were layered with blouses. Chiffon sleeves met a wool waistcoat dress. Frequent polka dots were used in print or made 3D in velvet on a back; twists of shiny stretchy leather wrapped around waists, and confetti tweed was layered with satin appliques in a rich blend of reds, pinks, blues and black.
Dark florals gave a wintry take on a floaty summer dress. Mink was knit into a winning black-confetti oversize sweatshirt worn over stocking-top tights for downtown girl nights; uptown they might wear the black chantilly-lace wrap dress. Bring on Valentines 2016.